Just thought I'd post in case any UK members on here are not aware of the new NHS charges which come into force on 1st April.

Any cancer patient will be entitled to free prescriptions effective from 1st April and this is any prescription, not just cancer drugs. So those battling ED, or anything else requiring regular medication, you can now get the monthly 'allowance' as a free prescription.

Just go see your GP and get him to fill in the forms for you and they'll send you something like a credit card and apparently this card will let you get your prescriptions free!!!

We need to be held accountable for an amount we can financially and reasonably manage to pay as responsible adults. If that means free then great....those are the folks programs are meant to help in the first place in the U.S. Canada pays a pretty penny to have what they have as does the UK. It isn't free by any means. No way would I trade what we have for wait and a prayer medicine Canada has but, I am glad for the cancer patients in the UK. I hope the people who need help, get whatever they need to survive and thrive :>)

Swim,I am reluctant to comment on health systems that I do not fully understand so I cannot compare the countries who operate taxation funded universal health schemes for their citizens to those that offer a scheme that endorses survival of the fittest and/or more affluent. Tell me, how does a citizen of the U.S. who simply cannot afford health insurance, or, ( and this is probably more pertinent in these times of economic woe and as unemployment surges), one who is aged say 55, lost their job a year ago and no longer has insurance cover nor savings, get on when they receive a diagnosis of prostate cancer. In my own country for example, that person, although it may take a little longer will receive treatment, often by the countries finest doctors in the best hospitals and at little or no personal cost to them. Any drugs they require (unfortunately with the exception of ED drugs), including the most expensive ADT and chemo drugs will be supplied a a nominal cost of about $5-00. Surely your people do not have to depend on charity or are left to grin and bear it?Bill1/05 PSA----2.9 3/06-----3.2 3/07-------4.1 5/07------3.9 All negative DREsAged 59 when diagnosedBiopsy 6/074 of 10 cores positive for Adenocarcinoma-------bummer!Core 1 <5%, core 2----50%, core 3----60%, core 4----50%Biopsy Pathologist's comment:Gleason 4+3=7 (80% grade 4) Stage T2cNeither extracapsular nor perineural invasion is identified CT scan and Bone scan show no evidence of metastasesDa Vinci RP Aug 10th 2007Post-op pathology:Positive for perineural invasion and 1 small focal extensionNegative at surgical margins, negative node and negative vesicle involvementSome 4+4=8 identified ........upgraded to Gleason 8PSA Oct 07 <0.1 undetectablePSA Jan 08 <0.1 undetectablePSA April 08 <0.001 undetectable (disregarded due to lab "misreporting")PSA August 08 <0.001 undetectable (disregarded due to lab "misreporting")Post-op pathology rechecked by new lab:Gleason downgraded to 4+3=7Focal extension comprised of grade 3 cellsPSA September 08 <0.01 (new lab)PSA February 09 <0.01

Billy, here in the US, if you don't have insurance, and you are too young for medicare/medicaid, you would SOL in most cases, and even if you could get treatment at a public hospital, you would be in debt for the rest of your natural life, and if you needed expensive meds, it would be too bad again in most cases. There are exceptions.

For what I have paid in taxes over the years, and in private health insurance premiums, and all the deductibles every year and co-pays, etc, I would just assume to be a part of a nationalized, or may I use the big "S" word, socialized medicine system. Just my opinion.

David in SCAge 56, 56 at DX, PSA 7/7 5.8, 7/8 12.3,9/8 14.5

3rd Biopsy Sept 08: Positive 7 of 7 cores, 40-90%, Gleason 7, 4+3

Open RP surgery 11/14/8, Right nerves spared, 4 days hospital, staples out 11/24/8, 5th cath out on 1/19/9